Texas lawmakers responded by blaming the administration for blocking domestic energy exploration and seeking to burden Americans with higher taxes in pursuit of lower levels of carbon emissions.

“Sadly, we’ve already seen American jobs leave the Gulf Coast and head to the president’s recently championed Brazil as a result of this administration’s de facto moratorium on offshore drilling,” said Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston. “Adding insult to injury, industries are starting to relocate to countries like India and China, where no emissions standards exist, providing zero net benefit to our environment.”

Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, said Obama “said a lot of the right things with respect to tapping domestic resources to reduce our dependency on foreign energy” but has taken actions that complicate those efforts.

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“Once again, this administration seems detached from what’s going on in the world and what needs to be done,” Olson said. “Time is ticking. We’ll see if the President is serious about increasing domestic oil and gas production. In the meantime, our ‘all-of-the-above’ American Energy Initiative will decrease our reliance on foreign oil and help get people back to work and provide families with access to affordable energy.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, was critical of the academic setting chosen by the president and his lofty tone.

“The American people need action from President Obama not another lecture, especially as skyrocketing gas prices are crippling middle-class families and small businesses,” Cornyn said. “Since taking office, the president’s policies have exacerbated the economic pain Americans are feeling at the pump. He has restricted our domestic supplies of oil and natural gas, championed failed cap-and-trade legislation, and allowed the EPA to begin imposing massive energy taxes through backdoor greenhouse gas regulations.

“It is time for the President to recognize the damage his policies are having on the economy, take his boot off the neck of domestic energy producers, and unlock our domestic energy potential.”

Some top Capitol Hill Democrats defended Obama’s energy agenda and the priorities laid out in this morning’s speech.

“It’s a great priority for our country, and the president is doing a good thing by focusing the public’s attention on ways to make ourselves more secure and control our energy future,” said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. “It’s going to take a lot of concerted effort by Congress and our committee, but the course of action the President set for the country today makes a lot of sense.”

But Houston Republican Culberson said Obama’s priorities make no sense and will cost taxpayers and companies many dollars.

“You don’t need a PhD in economics to understand that further regulations will only serve to eliminate jobs and raise energy prices for struggling American families and businesses,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that oil and gas companies do not need ‘incentives for expedited development.’ They are in the business of supplying energy to the world and have every incentive to produce as much oil and gas as possible.

“The only people who need ‘incentives’ are the ones sitting in the president’s administration who are proposing additional regulations that will further slow the leasing process.”